







In English we use the present simple tense to talk about facts or things that are always true, as well as things in general. Present simple is also used to talk about a repeated action such as a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens.
In English we use 'do' and 'does' as auxiliary verbs in negatives and questions and we often use the present simple with adverbs of frequency such as sometimes, always, often, never, usually, rarely, and hardly ever.
Notes for use of present simple :
In the third person, ‘s’ is added to the verb form. For example;
work --> works
run --> runs
live --> lives
For verbs that end in 'o', 'sh', 'ch', 's' and 'x', we add 'es' to the verb form. For example;
go --> goes
wish --> wishes
watch --> watches
kiss --> kisses
fax --> faxes
For verbs that end in a consonant + 'y', we change the 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'. For example;
try --> tries
study --> studies
The table below shows the different forms of present simple :
Example Verb : Work | I / You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | ... work. | ... works. |
| Negative | ... don't work. | ... doesn't work. |
Questions | Do ... work? | Does ... work? |
| Short answers | Yes, ... do. / No, ... don't. | Yes, ... does. / No, ... doesn't. |
For the verb 'to be' we use 'am', 'is', 'are' in the present simple. No auxiliary verbs are used in negative sentences and questions.
Verb: Be | I | You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | I'm ... | ... 're ... | ... 's ... |
| Negative | I'm not ... | ... aren't ... | ... isn't ... |
| Questions | Am I ... ? | Are ... ...? | Is ... ...? |
| Short answers | Yes, I am. / No, I'm not. | Yes, ... are. / No, ... aren't. | Yes, ... is. / No, ... isn't. |
Present Simple Example Sentences :
Positive Examples of Present Simple :
Negative Examples of Present Simple :
Question Examples of Present Simple :
| Present simple example sentences | |
|---|---|
| Thanks for being thoughtful, dear. | |
| My meeting starts at one o'clock. | |
| Yeah, that's a good idea! | |
| I think I'm going to order some duck, it's delicious. | |
| Her name is Ayumi! | |
| As far as I know, Chows are not good with other animals. | |
| In the recipe it says 600g. | |
| When you stop believing we can get a house in Mayfair for 2,400! | |
| Mike, it is a continent! | |
| We all love bank holidays. | |
| It sounds important. | |
| Wow, that's unbelievable, is it yours? | |
| That's bad, do you have a cold? | |
| So Pogo gets on very well with dogs. | |
| Do you want me to make you a cup of tea or coffee? | |
| My dad is British and my mum is Australian. | |
| I hope she is not a problematic one, then... | |
| Thanks, but I don't have time to stay. | |
| Then people come and complain to me! | |
| Of course, there are 4 girls, all uni students from Germany. | |